By Dragons' Den
April 21 2010

Twenty five years ago this week a London Welsh team, led by Welsh international Clive Rees, took the field for their first and only Cup Final. The opponents were Bath and as Welsh approached their centenary year hopes were high that they could finish the season by winning the John Player Special Cup. Dragons’ Den looks back to the days of amateur players and sponsorship by tobacco companies.

By the end of the 1984/85 season our forthcoming centenary season was occupying many minds and on the pitch we had the most successful side in years. Clive Rees captained the teamfrom the wing, at fly half Colyn Price set a new club record for points in a season, Mark Douglas was inside Colyn at scrum half and the centre pairing of Dan Fouhy and Robert Ackerman ensured there was no shortage of ball out to Rees and his fellow winger.

The pack was also full of experience and dominated opponents in the set piece and the loose. Bruce Bradley and Tim Jones propped for Byron Light to make a relatively lightweight but very effective front row and former club captain Kevin Bowring caused opponents no end of problems from the back of the scrum.

Headingly were the first cup opponents of the season and Welsh made the long journey to Yorkshire having notched up convincing wins in ‘friendlies’ against Leicester, Moseley and Llanelli. Dragon in Exile, the London Welsh centenary book, records that there was snow on the ground , a bitter wind blowing and a powerfully motivated home side waiting for them, strengthened by the return of England International Peter Winterbottom.  It was the toughest game that Welsh had played that season and it took a winning try by Mark Douglas to ensure an eight point victory and a place in the fourth round.

Another away tie faced Welsh, this time at Nottingham. England fly half Rob Andrew was the star player at Ireland Avenue but it was destined not to be his day. Once again Douglas crossed the try line and Price added eight points from the boot. Meanwhile Rob Andrew had a shocking game missing nine out of his ten kicks at goal allowing Welsh to sneak a 11-10 win and move through to the Quarter Finals and a home game against Waterloo.

The London Welsh supporters were in for another nervous afternoon at Old Deer Park. In the dying minutes Welsh led by only three points to nil and Waterloo looked likely to snatch the victory. An interception try by the Welsh number seven with Price’s conversion extended the lead to 9-0 and in the remaining five minutes two more converted tries gave a very respectable 21-0 scoreline.

No visit to Coventry is easy and there was a great atmosphere at a full Counden Road for the Semi FInal. Coventry opened the scoring but the try went unconverted. Future Welsh international Stuart Russell touched down to level the score and a further try by full back Matthew Ebsworth, converted by Colyn Price, took us to a 10-4 lead. Welsh absorbed massive pressure from the Coventry pack and restricted the home side to just two second half penalties. It remained 10-10 at the final whistle and London Welsh went through to the final by nature of being the visiting team. No periods of extra time or drop goal competitions in those days!

And so on to the Final and a meeting with Bath. 32,000 supporters from the two clubs took their places in Twickenham’s green stands to see two of the countries’ most famous teams battle it out. Bath were defending champions having beaten Bristol in the previous year’s final and they were determined to retain the cup for at least one more year. By half time Bath had scored 18 unanswered points. Colyn Price’s five second half penalties took Welsh within touching distance but two penalties within kicking range allowed the West Country side to hold on for a deserved 24-15 win.

The cup has taken many guises over the years and most recently the withdrawal of the Premiership clubs has taken away the prospect of a giant-killing and therefore much of the interest in the competition. The jury is very much out on the British and Irish Cup (although try telling Pirates and Doncaster that it is a series of meaningless fixtures!) and the format certainly needs a bit of tinkering.

London Welsh missed out on progressing past the group stages this time round but wouldn’t our second cup final, with a win of course, be a wonderful way to wrap up our forthcoming 125^thseason?

London Welsh team v Bath, 27 April 1985

Backs:  Matthew Ebsworth, Clive Rees ©, Dan Fouhy, Bob Ackerman, Matthew Watkins, Colyn price, Mark Douglas

Forwards: Bruce Bradley, Byron Light, Tim Jones, John Collins, Ted Lewis, Stuart Russell, Jeremy Evans, Kevin Bowring.

Replacements: Ian George, Simon Page, Julian Davies, Richard John, Guy Leleu, Peter Greenway

LW's only Cup Final - 25 years ago this week

Discussion started by The Dragons\\\' Den , 21/04/2010 00:44

The Dragons\\\' Den
21/04/2010 00:44

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Frankie Wasp (Ooh er mrs)
12/06/2015 22:47

Just reading this, I wanted to let you know I work with Dan fouhy

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Pink P
14/06/2015 11:45

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The Dragons\\\' Den
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Pink P
14/06/2015 11:45

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